The Challenges and Current Status of NASH (Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis) Treatment Development
The development of treatments for NASH poses several challenges. Firstly, NASH has various underlying factors and patients' responses to drugs can differ, making the development process complex. Additionally, obtaining liver tissue samples for clinical trials can be difficult.
Assessing the severity of NASH is subjective, which has been a concern in some clinical studies. Pharmaceutical companies worldwide have been working on drugs to reduce liver fat accumulation and suppress inflammation. However, an effective treatment that can halt NASH progression and inhibit fibrosis is yet to be developed.
As of now, there are no FDA or EMA-approved treatments exclusively for NASH. However, certain diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia medications are occasionally used at the discretion of physicians for NASH management.
Despite these challenges, the outlook for NASH treatment is positive. The disease presents a significant unmet medical need, driving the anticipated market growth with a projected average annual rate of 68.8% from $1.44 billion in 2019 to $27.2 billion in 2029.
Recently, there has been increased visibility in the development of NASH treatments. Around 57 companies globally are involved in developing 71 pipelines. Industry experts consider NASH as a blue ocean market without specific treatments, and if successful, a potential global blockbuster drug. This has raised expectations for the future development and commercialization of NASH treatments.